sparkafag

Scunthorpe look garbage IMO, they are surely built to change? I can only see average improvement in one rider (Douglas) which will be countered by a possible loss of about 2 points from Holub.

f KKS type parody account

The waving of yellow cards asking for bans is pathetic

This might come as a shock but being a speedway promoter doesn’t entitle someone to call people whatever they wish without retort.

The riders.

Any kind of ban would be absurdly hypocritical given that this thread is actually talking about a relevant speedway issue while parody accounts can run amok on this forum and basically destroy it. The comments from Cook are inane at best, and insulting to people who fund the sport at worst.

You evidently intentionally set out to make contrary comments, but this one is just bizarre, he (Penhall) is speaking about a man who shot someone and took their life, that someone he shot is the mother of his children, once you make that decision you don’t deserve to be spoken about respectfully. I wouldn’t simply reserve or pass judgement or comment on Hitler if asked simply because he is dead, dying doesn’t change the persona you chose to consciously create. Yeah but let’s be fair here, who knows what the state of Bruce’s mind was that day..

I personally find the question utterly meh, but the counter could just as easily be, what signal does it send out always signing riders because of their nationality? You could argue that there are standards to be met and British riders need to be better than they currently are before they can sign for EL sides let alone race at a World Cup, and setting that water mark is a better way to encourage development? If we kick all riders out of the league who aren’t British and Swindon have 5 Brits and all of a sudden the likes of Kennet are carrying 9.00 + EL averages do you think that means Team GB will perform better at a World Cup because I would say it is safe to assume they won’t. There is already enough being done to increase the churn of British riders as it is, what you are advocating is diluting the product down further thus meaning Brits will be even further out of their depth when they come up against World Class riders. If the trend of dumbing down the product goes on we will eventually dumb down British riders as well, case and example being when it comes to this year’s World Cup meeting, the other sides aren’t going to offer Brits an easy time this year just because the tournament is being held in this country, it doesn’t work like that at the top level. I would assume most would rather the Brits who are actually going to the world stage were racing the world’s best as often as possible and thus they are more “race ready” when they reach those meetings rather than simply getting an easy time of it every week because of their nationality. It’s hardly encouraging improvement once riders reach a certain level, at some stage they have to do it themselves or at least shoulder some responsibility because truth be told the path to that level in this country is currently a bit of an open goal given it is 3.00 averages to begin a career and fast tracked reserve positions etc and so on. That and the straight forward answer which is managing Swindon and managing Team GB both have completely different criteria, requests and goals to be met.

I can see both sides to that, would he scores loads at reserve? Possibly, but at the same time, how crap is he going to be allowed to get before it is simply said he is crap?

I would imagine most people would unsubscribe from the service pretty quickly if an email was sent every time a rumour was started about Berwick Speedway.

Howarth was carrying a 7.5 + average last season while racing at 1 for Workington, it is likely he will avoid that spot this season due to the averages of Stead and come the end of the season possibly Garrity, throw in the loss of Cook, Morris, Sedgeman and Kurtz I would say Howarth is as safe a bet as you are likely to get in the average improvers group. Hall will improve his average even if he is dross just by being less dross than the really dross riders in the league, Bates will probably do the same, how many “reserve” races is he going to be in this season, probably more than last year! That and a 5.5 average even from reserve is pretty good going, it suggests Bates has something about him, it might be a lack of brains and the ability to point the bike and go fast, but that’s not the worst thing in the world I don’t think the side is as strong as Glasgow, but that’s about the only side that looks stronger.

It looks a slightly weaker Somerset side than usual, but most PL sides do look weaker due to the loss of several high average riders this winter. I don’t know much about either Wilson-Dean or Allen but the fact that Somerset have signed them makes me think they will both have something based on the promotions track record. Starke looks like a rider ready to become a third heat leader and Tungate is talented enough to be a very solid second heat leader home and away. As has been said by others, it looks like a side that will be ready to peak for the Play-Offs.

A few? It's 5 out of about 40y odd in recent years (I would also question any realtionship deteration with Edberg he simply underperformed) .I would doubt you will find a club in the league where every rider leaves on great terms and that's before you factor in the character of certain riders,for those you mention you could counter with people like Ashworth, Kus, Kozza and well Alden and Wethers who were so happy with Berwick they're coming back so the answer to the daft question is, yes.

It depends on the definition of “character” and you could make the point that the legacy of “characters” grow with time when people become misty eyed and start to reminisce. A few cases being ..... I would say Hans Andresen has “character” he is pretty funny when he is on the TV, speaks his mind and has been involved in a fair few moments of controversy over the years. In 20 or 30 years’ time his antics during the World Cup Final at Poole are the kind of thing that should be eulogised over and sound uber controversial because you can add arms and legs to it, just like most story’s from so called “characters” back in the day. To give it context “Yeah Hans Andersen was a character, he cost Britain a World Cup by team riding a Swedish rider around for 4 laps” there was also a race between him and Nicholls (I think) at Peterborough and it is the kind of thing that will look absurd if watched on You Tube in 30 years, so much so that you could frame it as par for the course for him, even though like riders of 30 years ago, it actually wasn’t, it was a moment that can be countered with the hours of footage showing Andersen in dull meetings and not doing much, you don’t really have that for the characters of the 60/70 and 80s. 20 years ago a Kozza Smith who is a modern day, and far more talented version of someone like Buzz Burrows would have been seen as a “character” because, he, at times, is a bit daft on the bike. I would also add Fisher and someone like Wilkinson who would probably fall under that category as well. Tungate probably would have been a character because he ploughed into Auty after a race last season, Richard Hall another because he punted Auty (trend) on the ground? It seems chasing people with a shovel or half killing riders like Nagy (Matousek) was seen as “character” 20 years ago, so in that case Hall definitely would have been seen as a character as not only did he kick someone of the ground he was involved in a fight during one of the most hotly anticipated domestic meetings in 30 years so you could frame him as such. The Tungate example is probably a decent test case re how characters could grow 30 years ago but probably can’t now. 30 years ago Tungate knocking Auty off would have been able to grow far more arms, legs and “character” due to Chinese Whispers rather than people clicking on the internet and watching the incident, which sort of squashes it rather than him being an evil villain by the time he reaches the next track, booed and it feels like every incident involving him is the act of the king of evil. As well as those points, there is of course the fact that news moves fast now, incidents come and go and there is so much more content readily available and thus things are far more forgettable.

I don’t get the point re the track and home track advantage? That applies whether it is a play off or league campaign.

I would assume because the economy in this country is on its arse and the people who do invest in the sport typically want to see a club thrive rather than an individual rider? Garcia being a case and example, he doesn’t race for Berwick anymore. It seems the investment that was sourced (by the promotion) has helped the club continue to run, that seems a far more logical way to spend outside investment. I wouldn’t just apply that logic to Berwick, it would apply across the board, other than at Glasgow, if Glasgow can afford to pay for bikes, vans, flights etc, more power to them, but they aren’t really a decent water mark in terms of what most other clubs in the country can currently give riders. Like every other rider thathas chosen to be a speedway rider surely it is on the rider to seek out investment anyway? I actually almost despise the attitude that riders should be given hand-outs, its comparable to saying people should actively seek to sponsor employees of cinemas and bowling alleys, as evidently they people work in those places for “your entertainment” and “risk their lives so you can watch films”….they actually don’t, they are employees who have consciously chosen that profession and are already paid an agreed salary by their employer, just like, a speedway rider. If a rider cannot afford the career of a speedway rider (not saying that is the case with Garcia just a general reference) there is a really, simple, cheap, cost effective solution, don’t become a speedway rider because it is really clear before you even decide to do it that is going to cost an absolute fortune.

It's a team that can add 3/4 points, if you are getting by them you are probably winning things

I did mean Robin, I assume there must be a reason Pontus hasn't been in the Uk, stunning style on a bike and racks up the points

Aspegren seems like a no brained to me, but I have felt that way re him and Somerset for 3 years

Heeps is talented enough to just add 2 points to his average if it clicks, it's a good side that

It is a bit contradictory to say the sport should price its self in line with other minority sports (it does) but then say its ok for other sports to do it because they get bigger crowds, so basically, by your own logic they simply screw more people over? I think there is a fine line for the sport between fair pricing and pricing people out, comparing the average price (£15/20) it falls in line with most minority sports, and is actually a lot cheaper than most forms of entertainment. I am sorry if you aren’t able to attend as often as used to, but I wouldn’t (without even knowing your circumstances) say that blame lies at the door of the pricing structure of the sport. Let’s face it, if it was £2.50 to get in, people would still say it should be £1.75

That’s slightly contradictory logic is it not?

What sports and what do they charge? The prices for something like stock car racing are pretty comparable to those charged at most speedway tracks.

What is it though and what would you pitch it against?

If you have a bigger budget you might as well spend it like Glasgow are Lawson is the kind of rider that can easily be taken for granted in that, he is a bit dull, I mean that with respect in that he for the most part rather blandly scores loads and loads of points. If the Glasgow team plays out as expected, eg Worral next, the bottom 3 really don’t have to do very much at all. It’s always a great theory saying you need strong reserves, and you typically do, but if your top 4 are that strong the reserves really don’t matter that much, I would say that is where this team will contrast from the Glasgow side of 04, that was a strong top 4 without much improvement and a tendency for parts to go missing, this side has a top 4 who could put points on their average, and quite likely 2 or 3 points, if anyone builds a stronger side on paper I will be surprised.